


It's an Adjustment

by ozuttly



Series: Kink Meme De-Anons [7]
Category: Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger
Genre: F/F, F/M, Getting Together, M/M, Multi, communication is key in relationships, finding a place for oneself, lack of self confidence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-28
Updated: 2017-01-28
Packaged: 2018-09-20 09:11:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9484493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ozuttly/pseuds/ozuttly
Summary: It isn't that Gai is disappointed in the team. The team is great! He loves the team, loves that he gets to be a part of something that's trying to /save the world/.But then, that's the problem right there. He isn't really sure if he /is/ part of the team.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a prompt on the new tokusatsu kink meme, tokukink on dreamwidth.

It isn't that Gai is disappointed in the team. The team is great! He loves the team, loves that he gets to be a part of something that's trying to /save the world/. 

But then, that's the problem right there. He isn't really sure if he /is/ part of the team. 

They work well when they're fighting together, but when they're not, he can feel acutely that he's the sixth wheel on a vehicle that only needs five. It isn't at all what he imagined being a sentai ranger was supposed to feel like. It did make sense, since the other five have been together for a long time, but...

He tries carving a place for himself, at first. He tries helping Don out in the kitchen, but gets himself kicked out for being too loud and boisterous and maybe accidentally breaking a plate in his enthusiasm. He tries joining Ahim for tea, but he's never been very good at sitting still and quiet, and he's pretty sure she's just politely smiling at him while he talks her ear off for half an hour. He offers to spot for Joe once, before he realizes that he doesn't really know what that means outside of 'something to do with exercise' and he just gets an amused little smirk and a shoulder pat in return. Luka is an amazing woman, but she's also more than a little scary, so Gai mostly stays out of her way after he tries polishing her rings for her and accidentally drops one. 

Marvelous is the captain, the red, and Gai just /knows/ that the others all look up to him, and for that reason alone he doesn't even try. Instead, he tries to go with the flow instead, while still being conscious about giving the others their space. He's /finally/ part of a sentai team, and he really doesn't want to ruin it! But after a while he finds that giving space is getting harder and harder, and for the first time in his life Ikari Gai worries that he might, maybe, be pushing too hard and coming on too strong. 

So he pulls back, just a little. He doesn't sit quite as close to the others on the couch anymore, tries not to talk as much because he knows that his love for sentai can be a little bit annoying. He goes for walks in town instead, which is refreshing if a little lonely, and he watches the people go past with wistful little sighs.

That's where the team finds him, eventually, leaning back on a park bench and sighing. 

"Gai!" Don calls out to him and gets his attention, and he very nearly jumps off the bench like a spring at the sound. All five of them are there; Luka has her arms crossed, Joe is standing beside her quietly, Ahim looks a little worried and Marvelous looks... well, like Marvelous. Gai can't quite piece together what he's feeling based on his posture, and he shifts awkwardly on his bench as he tries to figure out what he did to get them all to come after him like this. 

"Uh, guys! Hi!" He says, clearing his throat when he realizes his voice is a little cracky. "I mean. Hello. I was about to head back, uh, in a bit. Did something happen? Was it the Zangyack?" He tries to pull a casual pose, leaning back with one arm draped over the back of the bench, but he's pretty sure he just looks silly if the way Luka is rolling her eyes is any indication. 

"We were just a bit worried about you, Gai-san," Ahim says, her voice soft as always as she steps forward and sits down next to him. He squirms around as he moves his feet for her, wishing he could dust off the bench so her pretty dress wouldn't get dirty, but she's already sitting down, so he just puts his hands in his lap instead before the meaning of her words sinks in. 

"You keep running off lately," Luka continues, walking over and plopping down comfortably next to Ahim. Gai wants to make a comment that he hopes they're all not planning on sitting next to him, because he doesn't think they'll all fit, but then Marvelous is right in front of him, and the sight of him takes up all of Gai's vision. 

"You were the one who wanted to be part of the team," Marvelous says sternly, and Gai bows his head, fighting the urge to apologize. He knows he's done something wrong, but he isn't quite sure what it is, and he understands even less when he feel's Joe's hand squeeze his shoulder reassuringly. They're waiting for an answer, though, and he can't put this off forever, so he wiggles back and forth in his seat as he tries to figure out just what to say. 

"I just, well, thought you all wanted some time to yourself, that's all!" He said finally, forcing on a bright and cheerful smile that he knows is fake and probably /looks/ fake. "You know, 'cause you were a five person team to start with, and the bonds between a team are sacred, and I'm the earthling who just kind of dropped in and announced I was gonna be part of your team. Not that I don't want to be part of the team! I love being a Gokaiger, living with you all on the Galleon and getting to help you out in fights and save earth from the Zangyack is great! It's really great! I just thought, you know, that I can be maybe a little bit annoying sometimes, so-- Ouch!" 

He cuts off when Luka flicks his forehead, putting his hands over his face to protect it from any further assault. He can hear Marvelous sigh, and he slowly opens his fingers to peek up at him. 

"Are you... are you guys mad?" He asks quietly, but the look on Marvelous' face is more... affectionate than anything. Which is not exactly what Gai expected. 

"I can't believe you were worried about something so dumb!" Luka exclaims, even as Ahim softly chastises her, and Joe hums his agreement from behind him. 

"You are a bit loud, and enthusiastic," he mused, but Ahim was quickly reaching over to take his hand and squeezing it gently. 

"But that's what makes you you, Gai-san," she says, and Gai can definitely feel his cheeks turning pink now. "We all joined the team at different times, and it is always an adjustment. But none of us dislike you, Gai-san." 

"You're loud," Marvelous continues, and he tries to sit down on Gai's other side, but there's not a whole lot of room, so he mostly ends up in his lap instead. "And a bit annoying. But you make the ship more fun, and you're reliable in a fight."

"You can cook and clean, too," Don offers. "I am so glad I'm not the only one who can cook and clean anymore."

Marvelous and Luka both give him little glares at that, and he makes a face at the both of them, but Gai can't help but giggle a little bit. He feels like everything he's worried about for the past month has been stupid, and before he knows what he's doing he's squeezing Ahim's hand with one hand and wrapping his other arm around Marvelous. 

"Oh, thank goodness," he exclaims, and Marvelous grunts in surprise as Gai pulls him close. "I've never really had a whole lot of friends before, and I /know/ I'm a bit annoying, even though I don't see /why/ people don't care as much about super sentai as I do, they're so great, but you guys, you guys are the /best/, you're like a family to me already and I love you all /so much/ and I really didn't want to ruin it--"

Luka leans over Ahim and kisses him to shut him up. He squeaks, but doesn't protest, because he's been on the Galleon long enough to know that all of the Gokaigers are like /that/. It's not like members of sentai teams have never dated before, so it's not weird or anything, but...

Marvelous huffs an affectionate breath against his cheek, and Joe ruffles his hair. 

"We thought that you weren't ok with /us/," Joe says, one slim eyebrow rising ever so slightly. "Earthlings seem to have different customs about sex." 

Gai can definitely feel his face turning red then, and were both of his hands not occupied he would have been flapping them around frantically. 

"Oh no! Oh no oh no oh no I am more than ok with, with, you know. This. You all." He pauses for a second, looking up imploringly. "Us... all...?" 

The five of them are all looking at him, and he has seen exasperation enough to recognize it on a person's face, but there's something else there too, something that he thinks looks a lot like affection and softness and other things that make his heart beat very, very fast. 

"Yes, you big baby," Luka says with a little grin. "It'll just take time to get used to."

"If we didn't like you, we would have thrown you out already," Marvelous adds, and Gai laughs nervously because that's not exactly /comforting/, but it's true that they haven't gotten rid of him yet. And, if this is any indication, they don't plan to any time in the future, either. 

So, feeling particularly confident, Gai finally cleans his throat, wiggling a little under his captain's weight. 

"Then... when we get back to the Galleon could we..." his ears turn pink and he can't meet any of their eyes. "...cuddle?" 

Luka groans, Joe lets out a small chuckle, and Ahim hums in agreement from beside him.


End file.
